SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1921 THE MICHIGAN DAILY MAGAZINE 3
MICHIGAN AIDS 'IN RESEARCH
(By Paul Watzel) The National Research Council is a ing are the anthropological expedition not by any means be overlooked is that
One of the factors that has been body of men, foremost in their particu- in the Pacific ocean and the deterina- of industrial research. The demand
foremost in the building up of our lar fields, who direct the energies of tion of the nutrition value of foods. for practical research in industrial
immense stock of knowledge is the research and make it possible for men Both the expedition and the nutrition problems has resulted in the instal-
doing work to contribute the most problem are being carried on by in- lation of laboratories in many of the
spirit of research, which in its last possible. It was formed during th stitutions connected with the council large corporations, and has caused a
analysis is a desire to discover some- war, largely taking over the work of and aided by it. At the present time large number of leading universities
thing unknown, to determine some- the National Academy of Sciences, the University is not carrying on any the country over to turn their attention
thing fundamental, and to contribute which had gradually grown away from work in co-operion with the council, to this seemingly more useful phase of
something worth while. The spirit of the purpose for which it had been but it is in close connection with it the work. The results attained have
research, applying the energies of the founded. The government desired to and may at any time work with it. been worth while, and the possibili-
human mind to problems of both the have a body of men who could carry eans of popularizing the work of ties for further work are unlimited
past frodthegfuture,haskept educ-on research work for the benefit of the research are furnished by a bureau .>f Every phase of industrial work that
atnd he future, asg t eand has nation toward the termination of the information, operated on a foundation offers a problem to industries is a
iomadefra living, vital thing. war. Because of this the council was from a leading manufacturer. Journa- matter that is worthy of consideration
Modern progress dates from the formed, and it has existed since its lists, versed in the art of telling simply in the laboratories of the research
time when men discarded the idea heformation with the sanction of, but the sometimes complicated problems bureaus of the universities. This work
education being a laborious copying apart from, the national government. that present themselves to the research is not carried on for the benefit of any
e L phrases, and began t catch The council, at the present time, worker, write in co-operation with the one particular industry, but for the
the spirit of the Greeks, that insatiable directs the energies of the men who bureau to keep the country informed general public good. For this reason
desire to know more of the universe wish to do research work. It offers upon what is happening and what is publicity is given to the results of the
in which they dwelt, that desire to information on the subject in Which being done to advance the progress of experiments. The purpose of such
follow the truth whithersoever it might the man is interested, advises him what knowledge. This polcy, so diametric- research is primarily educational and
lead. has been done in the field in which he ally opposed to the secrecy in which not industrial.
some private industries carry on their All these things are done so that
And now, with a store of knowledge hopes to work, and restrains him from work, has done much to cause the pub- progress may continue in its march, so
many times that which was possessed duplicating the work of others in that lie to see the advantages of research, that we can make the contributions to
by our ancestors, there is a force that field. The man carries on his work an teres it. ,kid come the con -
impells us on to new things, a spirit under the direction of the council, put- and take an iterest in it. knowledge commensurate with the con-
which calls upon us to make contri- ting his individuality into his labors., A phase of research work that can-1tribtions made before.
butions. That force, that spirit, makes but avoiding the possibilty of over-lap-
itself felt through research work. ping the work which some one else is
Research work does not confine it- doing.
self to any one field. It takes interest This means that when a man works
in every phase of knowledge, from the in a particular field, be has the com-
study of law to the study of mechan- plete co-operation of others who might,
ics. It deals with history, biology, and during the course of time, make minor
politics. contributions. But he also knows that
That the University realizes the his work, in turn, might become sub-= ,(_
worth of research and is turning its orInae ote okdn.b nt
attention to the work is shown by the and may be considered as but a minor
establishment of the Bureau of En- contribution to It. From the stand-a
gineering Research and by the adop-~ point of efficiency the method of the'_
tion by the Board of Regents of a plan council is good. -
whereby research work in all fields{ I c , I
planthfor thesamplificationsiof research
may be carried on to greater advant- Yet there arises mtch discussion as;
age. The bureau, now operating, is to whether the council works to the
called upon to conduct numerous in- best advantage. Many claim that the
vestigations, the results of which are old plan of research is the best, and;
made public, to the common good and that the individual should carry on
the advancement of knowledge. The what work he desires, in the manner
plan for the amplification of research he desires and not have to depend upon{-
work In all departents as yet awaits the council. This opposition is not;
a method of financing. organized and has no recognized ex-
Of course, at the present time, there ponent. Needless to say, the old meth-
Is a great amount of research work 'od has worked well, and at the present
ben oea teUiesty u r-time by far the greater number of our ~ 1 Jh~ J,,,c,
sagraamutoreerhwrodhswrewelanattepeetbeing done at the University, but pro- iseyfreshae geernumeb e n r riJ st X ht T Lh~L I rW ante - a
visions have been made for a more ex- discoveries have been made by men
tensive program. The Regents have working in the solitude of their labora-
approved a plan, drawn up recently, tories, shut out from the outside world
which will grant a professor leave of and not dependent upon the guiding
absence in order that he may do re- power of any organization. The men
search work. This work will be done who argue for the continuation of these
at the University, and the results of methods claim that the individual,
the experiments which are conducted working with the council, loses the
wilb aepbi. h inpoie strict personality and the desire t That's the nice thing about giving a
will be made public. The plan provides . i.
for every facility that a man interested delve deeply into his subject for his Kodak-you know it's what they want.
in the work would desire, and it is own satisfaction. They argue that the
believed that within a short time suf individual isasubjugated and that he Allsare to
ficient funds will have been received l becomes a part of the system, rather Al the Kodaksar simple to work-
to carry out the program. . than being an individuality. as we can show ,and they make
During the past few years, in fact Whichever might be correct, it is not you, th
since the war, there has been a tend- difficult to see that the trend of the good pictures-as we can show you,
ency in this country to concentrate the whole work of research lies toward
efforts expended in research and to the centralization in the council. Its too.
direct them in the channels where they influence in the work is becoming
will be the most useful. There has greater and greater as the time passes. Kodaks from $8.oo up
been a unifying of purpose and a di- Work approved by the National Re- Brownies from $a.oo u
rection of energies, a conscious effort search Council receives an impetus
made to eliminate waste of faculties because of the fact that the council,
and forces, caused by duplication. In a body of men foremost in their fields,
other words, there has been a centrali- has investigated, found it worth Calkins-Fletcher
zation of the endeavors of those inter- while, and has the facilities to give
ested in research work, so that the it furtherance in any way possible.D CO.
best results may be secured. This Without a doubt, the sanction of the
has been accomplished through the council will come to mean more and
National Research Council with head- more as its work is recognized.
quarters at Washington. Examples of what the council is do-